And as for claims that the most vulnerable would be protected, the
London Underground tannoy’s regular announcements about ‘incidents’ that
can be translated as what tube drivers refer sardonically to ‘one
under’ would fuel a huge backlog in coroners’ courts.
The way that Nygell Firminger of South Kilburn committed suicide did
not involve a tube train, but was benefits sanctions and subsequent
eviction-related. It also occurred within the week that the Welfare
Reform Bill 2012 was passed.

“Those who give the order seldom see the mess it makes.” They also
seem to have vested interests in blocking evidence for informed debate.
Yet as for whether it is a case of ‘conspiracy’ or ‘cock up’, it seems
to me given the 2004/2005 systemic meltdown in the benefits system, that
‘conspiracy’ and ‘cock up’ debate matters are like the ‘chicken and the
egg’ debate.

Community Care mag November 2006 article: Jobcentre Plus: Poor service continues
I suppose that the fundamental answer is that they care less for economically vulnerable people than they imply!

See the emerging 'shared intelligence' on Kate Belgrave's blog for more details.

Monday, 21 March 2016

The KUWG member who sent Dude Swheatie this youtube video clip has not only the talons of a bird of prey, but also the sharp eyesight of one. I make that reference to her quality of eyesight because she has spotted the KUWG banner within this video clip.

Saturday, 19 March 2016

Today my TV woke to the BBC Breakfast news announcement that Work & Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith has resigned over 'indefensible changes to disability benefits'. And BBC Breakfast interviewed Labour's Work & Pensions Secretary over the matter.Yet as the BBC did not interview any other Shadow Work & Pensions Secretary today, here I republish a youtube 'liarpoliticians2' clip from the BBC's coverage of the 2015 General Election in which Green Party Work & Pensions Spokesperson Jonathan Bartley challenged IDS over what might be best described as 'death in DWP custody'.

Those 'entitlement' letters also state that the claimant must inform them of any extra money they might receive, even as gifts from concerned friends and relatives who know more of the claimant's situation than distant 'decision makers'. The Government argument is that non-declaration of such income amounts to 'benefit fraud'.Osborne etc in their 'upbringing' as millionaires remind me of military generals with sets of toy soldiers that they send off to the slaughter of war. WTF do they know about costs of living and dying?

Wednesday, 16 March 2016

Abby, Joan, Alan1, Aleco and
Giselle went to the Kill the Bill Housing march on 13th
March 2016. I was very disappointed with the turn out. The usual
suspects were all there. That includes our comrades from Unite
Community

The turn out was nowhere near
are big as it should have been given the importance of the issues.
Basically, the Tories are abolishing social housing. John McDonnell turned up and gave a brief speech. Jeremy Corbyn did a no-show. Emily
Thornberry read out a statement from him, She was drowned out by a
bunch of Troyskyists. Abby asked them to make less noise, but got no joy. The Bill goes back to the House of Lords but
is all but passed. I have to say, I felt quite discouraged.

And Alan1 adds: For me, the best thing about it was an opportunity to catch up with old friends and comrades. And while I found participating in conversations with three or more people in parallel at the same time, it was great catching up with people I'd not seen for some time and having one-to-one conversations with them. While it was disappointing in terms of weighing the turnout against the severity of the issue, the lack of congestion on the march helped allow my completion of it.GeorgeI was there at the start in Lincoln's Inn Fields, though he said at the outset that he doubted he'd be able to make it for the full length of the march. I also met up with a friend I'd known from local Inner London Education Authority-run Community Education Centre days of the 1980's but not seen for quite some years now, along with Martin Francis of Brent Green Party and the Wembley Matters blog.There were a few Labour Party banners that I spotted, but it would take a real Green Party activist such as Martin Francis to locate Green Party banners. Green Party leader Natalie Bennett also spoke as one of the first speakers. Her speech told of discussions she had just had with a marching mother of a full time student who anticipates the 'pay to stay' burden hitting their family upon the student's graduation. Natalie Bennett also added that this Tory Government is very weak, having recently lost the vote on Sunday Trading through the impact of its own MPs voting against Tory policy. She argued that the nation cannot afford to wait for a 2020 General Election and the Housing Bill should not be allowed to come into law.

A speaker from LB Barnet pointed out that many of the changes brought in by the Housing Bill 2016 have already been piloted in LB Barnet. Since Sunday's march there has been a TV documentary broadcast about Barnet residents' objections to being turfed out of their social housing as Tory Barnet has sold off their land to Barratt's the builders. And much as the Housing Bill 2016 trumpets 'Right to Buy' for people in social housing, what would be the point of social housing tenants taking government subsidies to buy their social housing accommodation only for a company such as Barratt's to then have the legal right to demolish that same property?

Report on the action against Remploy Maximus 'job coaches' in GP surgeries

Demonstrators from Kilburn and beyond opposing IDS' plansto sneak in compulsory 'treatment' for not-fit-for-work people

There
was lively action against Remploy job coaches being put into GP
surgeries.

The protest was outside a GP surgery in City Road,
Islington. The Council is apparently supporting the pilot. This is
apparently a pilot project, but we have to assume it will be rolled
out more widely. The very idea is outrageous. It seems particularly
targeted at people with mental health conditions. It will destroy
trust between doctors and patients, if these job coaches can see
patient records.

Clarence
had an IDS mask on. Abby was a Maximus Job Coach – Maximus own
Remploy.

Paula
Peters spoke very well as usual. Video of her speech has also been
uploaded to youtube. We also had support from a junior doctor, Dr
Mona Ahmed. There is a short video of her speech here.

Various other
professionals also offered support. Plus there was also two speakers
from the campaign to restore bursaries for student nurses.

Elections to vacant branch positions

Camden
& Islington is the latest Unite Community branch to be formally
constituted in the region but has been an activists group since the
beginning of Unite Community four years ago. There is a strong core
of activists whose experience and skills have guided the branch this
far and who are encouraged by the rise in new members to seek new
activists to take on more of a role in the branch committee.
Unite
Community offers training and support to any of its members – we
have training for branch officers, on social media, campaigning and
welfare advocacy and are always open to looking at new courses as
the need is identified by our branches.
The
branch invites nominations from any of its members for the branch
officer positions listed below. If you would like any more
information on any of them please get back in touch with me and I
will be happy to go through it with you. Nominations will be taken
in the meeting or in advance of the meeting by email or phone.

The current vacancies are

Equalities Officer

Campaigns
Officer

Industrial
Liaison Officer</>

Young
Members Officer

Social
Secretary

Membership
Secretary

In
addition the branch has the right to decide on and elect officers to
cover specific areas of campaigning or specific localities if it
will assist the branch to recruit, organise and campaign. Camden &
Islington decided at its AGM in December to seek election for a
Welfare Officer to guide the campaign work around claimant support.

Thursday, 10 March 2016

David Clapson remembered at No Sanctions Day 2016

There
was a day of actions against benefit sanctions on 9th
March 2016. Benefit sanctions are when our benefits are stopped for a
period of anything from 4 weeks to 3 years if we fail to comply with
DWP requests. However, being late for an appointment that you never
got told about, can land you with a sanction. Hundreds of thousands
of people are sanctioned each year. The Government saves millions of
pounds off the welfare bill with this policy.

Being
sanctioned has led directly to despair and suicides. There are 95
cases that the DWP is aware of. In April 2012, former KUWG member Nygell Firminger committed suicide as a direct consequence of homelessness that was brought on by rent arrears resulting from a benefits sanction. The 95 people were remembered at the protest. today (9 March 2016).

Tapestry of names of vulnerable people who died in sanctions-related-deaths

David
Clapson was someone who was also sanctioned. Without money, he could
not chill the medication that he needed to treat the type 1 diabetes
that he lived with. He died within a week of being sanctioned.

His sister, Gill Thompson, has led a campaign
to have an inquest or inquiry into his death. The Government has
refused that request. She handed in a petition to the DWP asking
them to have an inquest or inquiry into her brother’s death – as
per photo below. Footage of his sister speaking to the crowd has been
uploaded to youtube. She is also campaigning for the government to
implement the recommendations of a review of sanctions. She is now
crowd funding a campaign to challenge that refusal. To support her
campaign go to: www.crowdjustice.co.uk/case/david-clapson

A DWP official hears from demonstrators.Location: DWP HQ, Caxton House on No Sanctions Day

Commenting on Blog Contents

Comments are approved unless abusive, obscene, completely off the subject, disguised advertising or libellous. Publication of a comment does not imply that the blog administrator or KUWG agree with it.

Please note if I respond to comments it is in my Google log in — never 'Anonymous'

Commenters cause less confusion when they use their own names or pen names. A host of 'Anons' can give very mixed messages. Even if you use the technically easier 'Anonymous' button to make a comment you can still put your name at the end.

Benefits sanctioned? Take mass action!

An average of 1700 benefit clamants are sanctioned per year in each London parliamentary constituency. One of them might be writing parliamentary candidates in your polling constituency right now. How about more people who are sanctioned writing candidates in your parliamentary constituency and asking relevant questions at 'hustings' debates in your area?

Meeting structure

Helping you feel at home: We meet weekly in the Small Hall at KingsgateCC and start gathering from 3pm, attempting to start the meetings at about 3:15pm and definitely before 3:30pm.

Bring and share refreshments are included. We are not like the 'No eating or drinking on the premises' jobcentre.

The formal meetings start with firstname and what benefit we are on or a one-liner about what brings us to KUWG. (Pensioners and other allies welcome.)

We then ask for casework from those present, arrange who will help with what case, and go onto discussing campaigning leafleting and such outreach activities. We also arrange who will do the chairing or facilitating and note-taking for the following week. Rotating these roles helps minimise the risk of being dominated by one person and helps us build our skills as we share the workload.

Meetings actually finish at about 5:20pm to allow for putting tables and chairs back and leaving the kitchen facilities ready for the next group.